(1831 - 1923)
Benjamin Williams Leader was born in Worcester; the son of an amateur painter, ironmonger and engineer. He attended schools in Worcester, before beginning an apprenticeship in his father’s firm. He later studied at Worcester School of Design and exhibited landscapes at the Royal Academy from 1854. To avoid confusion with other artists named Williams, he used his father’s second name, Leader, from 1858. He travelled to Paris in 1865 and, from this time, adopted freer brush strokes and more dramatic lighting effects. Following his success at the 1889 Universal Exhibition in Paris he was awarded the Légion d’honneur. In 1898 he became a full member of the Academy. He died at his home, Burrows Cross House, near Gomshall in Surrey, aged 92.
